


The Duke, The Prince, and I

by nj_1996



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Anal Sex, Body Worship, Bridgerton AU, Courtship, Falling In Love, Fluff, M/M, Oral Sex, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:48:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28757604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nj_1996/pseuds/nj_1996
Summary: Bridgerton AU:When the Viscount Max Verstappen finds himself embroiled in scandal after the new society paper of Lady Opscura reveals his father has left him with a considerable gambling debt, the Viscount's introduction onto the marriage market is already in peril.In comes His Serene Highness, the Prince of Monaco, an old friend of Max's from university, who is willing to pretend a courtship with the Viscount so that he might be able to catch the biggest prize of them all: The Duke of Somerset: Daniel Ricciardo.What follows is a story of love, scandal, and intrigue, where nothing is as it may seem, and everyone has secrets they hide from the light of day, terrified that they might be exposed in yet another little gossip rag.
Relationships: Alexander Albon/George Russell, Charles Leclerc/Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen
Comments: 39
Kudos: 76





	1. The First Ball

**Author's Note:**

> I am so freaking excited about this one!
> 
> I considered making it a one-shot, but then I started writing and now it's apparently a chaptered fic :p
> 
> Let me know what you think, comments and kudos are much appreciated! <3

_Dearest reader,_

_All is fair in love and war._

_You join me, as we stand once more, at the beginning of the London social season. The time of year when the marriage market is in full swing, and scandal is always just around the corner._

_My name is Lady Opscura. You do not know me, and trust me, you never shall. But be warned, dear reader. I most certainly do know you._

_Tonight is upon us the first ball of the season, as always organised by His Grace, the Duke of Norfolk. And while we all know that the Duke has an eye on a very special someone, I have heard tell that another of his station will be making an appearance tonight. The most eligible bachelor of all High Society, the unmistakable heartthrob known as the Duke of Somerset._

_But he will not be the only person present who will have all eyes upon him this evening. As always, the start of the season will be the launch of the marriage prospects of many a young bachelor or bachelorette. How, for example, will the brand new Viscount Verstappen fare? It has been said that his late father had amassed quite the gambling debt, and the young Viscount is desperate to marry well in order to settle those._

***

There was more, much more, pages of the stuff, but Max could not bear to read on any further. ‘’Are you joking with this, Lando? Honestly? You have to stop reading these gossip rags.’’ He told his friend as he threw the pamphlet to the ground and turned back to the mirror to look himself up and down a final time. He looked well, if he said so himself. He had a brand new suit tailored for the occasion, as it was key to make a good impression at one’s very first ball.

It wasn’t like he really had the money left to spend on extravagances such as this, but since Lando was absolutely flush with funds from his father, his friend thankfully hadn’t hesitated for a moment when Max had asked for a small loan, and had instead paid for the thing with the explicit refusal to ever see a single shilling in return. ‘’Don’t be like that!’’ Lando now cried out, quickly hurrying over to safe the booklet from ruin.

‘’This thing is amazing. None of the other society papers ever name people, this one does. It names you specifically!’’ Lando said excitedly, earning him an eyeroll from Max. ‘’Yes. And it talks about my father. Do you really think that that helps with my prospects? How does this Lady Opscura or whatever even know about all that?!’’ He asked, sighing deeply after he finished speaking. 

Lando shrugged a little in return, seemingly not really caring much. ‘’You have to woo them anyway, right? But at least this gossip rag, as you insist on calling it, might help you figure out who has money!’’ He sat down as he started to read the thing again and chuckled within seconds. ‘’And you can read fun things like how the Earl of Surrey apparently has a new foreign mistress. Good for him!’’

‘’Could you pay a little less attention to your paper and instead tell me whether I look good enough or not?’’ Max asked, frowning a little as he continued to look at himself. It made Lando be the one to roll his eyes this time. ‘’You look great, Max. Stop worrying. I’m not.’’ Tonight’s ball would be the first for both of them, but given the stakes for their future, where Lando’s was settled with money, was a lot more uncertain for Max.

It was not long after that a servant came up to the room, to inform them that the carriage was ready to bring them to tonight’s ball. ‘’Great, thank you.’’ Max thanked the man, before he looked back at Lando. ‘’Ready then?’’ He asked his friend with a smile, whole grinned in return. ‘’Let’s go!’’

They ended up in a slight traffic jam on the way to the ball, given the vast number of people that were attending, and the fact that they were all announced individually. As they finally stepped out of their carriage though, Max realised immediately that the wait had been more than worth it.

The ball was held in the Duke’s vast gardens, located right next a manor that was so large you would almost be excused if you thought it was a palace. The gardens themselves were beautifully decorated, with torches everywhere to light the place. There was an orchestra seated next to a large dance floor, and they were already playing slow, gentle music as Max and Lando arrived.

Max almost felt entranced by the entire scene, only to have a rude awakening as they were announced. ‘’The Viscount Verstappen and the Lord Lando Norris!’’ A servant called out, and more than a few heads turned in their direction as they walked through the flowery archway and entered the grounds set off for the ball.

Immediately, Max felt a little panicked. A lot of people there were older, and he really did not like the way that some of those men and women were looking at him. Clearly picking up on his nerves, Lando gave his hand a quick squeeze and leaned over to whisper in his ear. ‘’Go get yourself a drink, Max. It might do you some good. And good luck.’’ He told his friend, he himself going off to speak with some people he recognized as Max walked off.

Max still felt incredibly watched, and he stumbled a little through the crowd as he tried to reach a drink, any drink, as quickly as he possibly could. He wasn’t paying attention at all, and so the breath was knocked out of him for a moment when he suddenly walked into someone. The man groaned in return, and Max immediately started to apologize.

‘’I’m sorry, I didn-‘’ He started, only to have his breath taken away for the second time in short successions. Max was staring into deep, kind brown eyes, that belonged to an almost equally gorgeous man. He had dark, curly hair, olive skin, and an apologetic smile that seemed to brighten up the entire world around him. ‘’Are you okay?’’ He asked Max gently, and the Viscount nodded slowly as he instantly recognized the man’s identity.

‘’I am, Your Grace. Thank you.’’ Max said, to the one and only Duke of Somerset: Daniel Ricciardo. The most eligible bachelor in all of England, right here in front of him. ‘’What’s your name?’’ Daniel asked gently, and for a moment, as he stared into this man’s eyes, it felt like they were the only two people on the planet. ‘’I’m Max…’’ He said quietly, before he quickly corrected himself. ‘’I mean…the Viscount Verstappen.’’ He told Daniel, giving him an apologetic smile of his own. ‘’Still getting used to the title to be honest.’’

Max’s words made Daniel laugh a little, and the Viscount groaned inwardly. Even the Duke’s laugh was attractive and infectious. ‘’Same here to be honest. Doubt I’ll ever get used to be called ‘Your Grace’.’’ He shared, before he looked around when his name was called. ‘’Hmmm, very nice to meet you, Max. I hope to run into you again soon.’’ Daniel winked as he teased Max with the latter part of his words, and the Viscount could not help but blush slightly as the Duke kissed his hand, before returning to the dancefloor, where George, the Duke of Norfolk, had just opened the ball with his not so secret lover, the Lord Albon.

Once Max had gotten passed the absolute shock that was meeting the Duke of Somerset in this way, and his heart wasn’t threatening to beat its way through his chest anymore, Max finally managed to get himself two glasses of champagne, both of which he downed instantly. It helped with his nerves, somewhat at least, and it prepared him for what was to come…the dancing.

Now that he wasn’t moving anymore, and wasn’t speaking with anyone either, it was like the hounds had been let loose. It was known that Max did not have vast amounts of money, yes. But whoever he married would marry into a titled family, and his looks were a lot more attractive than most of the other people walking around at this ball. Overall, it apparently still made him a good prospect for the more desperate families around.

He was forced to dance song after song with people that were old, ugly, or just clearly pushed onto him by their chaperones. It was absolute torture, and if it hadn’t been for his rigorous etiquette training throughout his youth, he would long since have fled the ball. None of the more eligible people seemed to want much to do with him, and Max was fairly certain it was the rumours about his financial state that were doing him so much harm.

Whenever he could, he glanced over at Daniel, hoping to maybe steal him for a dance, but to no avail. The Duke seemed occupied all evening, busy dancing with other people, or in animated conversation with people that seemed to be his friends.

When there finally was a momentarily lull in people demanding to dance with him, Max finally managed to slip out of the party. He slipped into the darkness of the gardens, walking around in a hedge maze until he found the centre, where he sat down on the bench placed there. He could still hear the music playing, and Max closed his eyes as he finally found a quiet moment to relax and gather his thoughts.

He had barely started doing so though, or he was rudely interrupted. ‘’I see that someone had the same idea as I did.’’ Max’s eyes shot open as he heard a voice behind him, and he quickly turned around to see. The words had come with a distinct French sounding accent, and Max’s mouth dropped open as he instantly recognized who that voice belonged to.

‘’Charles?!’’ He asked excitedly, jumping off of the bench to run over and hug the Prince as tightly as he possibly could. ‘’When did you…How are you…Oh!’’ He said, grinning as he stepped back and made a very elaborate Royal bow to Charles. He hooked his left foot behind his right, his right arm crossed over his stomach and his left across his back as he bowed deep and slightly bent his knees. ‘’Your Serene Highness.’’ He greeted, smirking a little as he raised his head again.

‘’God, you’re absolutely infuriating.’’ Charles told his friend, hugging him tightly again once Max was done with his little act. ‘’I missed you. I’ve been wanting to talk to you all night but you were either busy dancing or busy talking and or staring at certain Dukes.’’ He noted with a smirk as he pulled away again after a moment.

Max was still grinning, too excited about seeing his friend again to really care too much about the teasing. He had spent years with Charles in uni. Drinking together, being each other’s wingman, doing each other a couple of times when they were young and horny, there was even a little studying from time to time. Their start had been a little rough, with Charles barely speaking any English at the time, but they had quickly grown to be the best of friends, and Max had been heartbroken when the Prince had to return home to Monaco after getting his degree at Oxford.

‘’What are you doing here, Charles?’’ Max asked his friend, still looking as excited to see him as ever. ‘’Well, I’m here this season to find myself a suitable match to marry.’’ Charles said happily. ‘’On George’s invitation. But as you well know, he’s been very busy with Alex all evening, so I’ve been thrown to the wolves a little…I came here to hide from all the people wanting a piece of me and to finally come and say hi to you when I saw you running off. Are you dealing with the same problem?’’

Max listened to his friend, his excitement about seeing him again slowly being replaced by sadness about the situation that he was finding himself in. ‘’Not…particularly.’’ He told Charles with a deep sigh. ‘’The situation with my dad was placed in this society paper written by some Lady Opscura or something. And now nobody with any standing wants anything to do with me because they know I’m in debt.’’ He sighed again when he finished talking, and pouted a little as Charles took his hand and dragged Max back to the bench to sit down with him.

‘’I’m sorry to hear that, Maxy.’’ Charles said and sighed deeply as he continued to hold his friend’s hand in his own. ‘’How are you doing with your father’s passing, anyway? I know we wrote to each other, but you can’t say that much in a letter…’’ Max shrugged a little in response to the Prince, before he sighed once again. ‘’I don’t know…I’m mostly angry. Angry that he forced this title upon me way too early. Angry for blowing our fortune on gambling, and angry for being such an asshole to me and mom when he was alive.’’

Max got a little frustrated as he spoke, and he really only calmed down again when Charles squeezed his hand and gave his friend a concerned look. ‘’Is there anything I can do to help, Maxy? Anything?’’ He asked, looking dead-serious. Max frowned in thought for a second, before he finally bit his lip as he came up with an idea.

‘’Would you….dance with me?’’ He suggested to Charles, who seemed a little surprised by the suggestion. ‘’Of course I will. Why though?’’ The Prince asked curiously, making Max chuckle in disbelief. ‘’Seriously? You’re a Prince. If you dance with me and seem interested then other people might certainly see me as a serious prospect.’’ He argued.

The idea made Charles smile widely once he understood what Max was saying, and he nodded enthusiastically. ‘’Of course!’’ He said excitedly. ‘’If you want, we can really sell it. We can have two dances, or three, and I could come and visit you tomorrow for a proper pretend courtship. That would certainly get people talking, including this Lady Opscura that’s apparently very much bothering you.’’

‘’I…yeah, if you’d do that for me…That would be incredible.’’ Max said, giving Charles a grateful smile as the Prince nodded. ‘’Of course, Maxy! I’m not in a hurry to find someone, and I will gladly help out one of my very best friends.’’ He got up then, offering the Viscount his hand. ‘’Come on, let’s go and dance before the ball is over.’’

Max took Charles’ hand when it was offered, giving the man a tight hug when he got up. ‘’Thank you, Charles. You have no idea how much this means to me.’’ He told his friend, before pulling away. ‘’I’ll go out first and get a drink. Can you follow me in a minute or two? It might cause a bit of a scandal if we walk out together…’’ He told the Prince, who nodded in response. ‘’I’ll see you in a moment for our dance, mon ami.’’

Max nodded then, smiling again at Charles and taking a deep breath, before he walked off, heading back towards the ball. As he walked out of the maze, he realized that he hadn’t actually missed much. The ball was still going in much the same way, and Max quickly hurried over to get himself a drink before anyone had the bad idea of talking to him.

It was only a minute or so later that he heard someone clearing their throat behind him, and he turned around to face Charles once more. ‘’Your Serene Highness.’’ Max said, pretending to be surprised as he bowed to the Prince again. ‘’Viscount Verstappen.’’ Charles greeted back, before he offered his hand. ‘’Might you do me the honour of this dance?’’ He asked.

A sigh of relief almost escaped Max as he placed his hand in Charles’ and nodded. ‘’The honour would be all mine, Sir.’’ He told the Prince, who immediately pulled him over to the dancefloor. As the new song started, Charles put his hand on Max’s hip, leading him as they gracefully moved around the floor. Max could feel all eyes upon them, and really, he thrived on the attention. 

When the song ended, Max moved to pull away, but when he tried to, Charles only held him a little tighter. ‘’One more song, please.’’ The Prince proposed, and really who was Max to say no to that. He smiled at Charles and nodded, waiting a moment for the next song to start before they started to dance together again. 

This time, Max managed to focus on Charles, rather than the people around them. He looked into the Prince’s eyes, smiling at him and really enjoying himself more with each passing moment. Charles was an amazing dancer, he was incredibly good looking, and Max suddenly found himself reminded of why exactly he had had a bit of a crush on his friend when they first met.

The song was over before either of them knew it, and as they walked off the dancefloor, Max could clearly see everyone on the side gossiping about them. ‘’It’s working, Charles. Thank you.’’ He whispered to the Prince, who winked at Max in return. ‘’Watch what I have in store for you tomorrow.’’ He teased with a grin.

As they walked off, George was already waiting for them, and Max gave a polite nod. ‘’Well, well, well. Look who we have here. Trying to steal all the thunder away from Alex and I, are you?’’ He asked with a smirk, before he hugged Max tightly. ‘’Good to see you, mate. It’s been a while.’’ He said happily, making the Viscount chuckle. ‘’Well I’m certainly not the one busy all the time up in Norfolk, Your Grace. That would be you.’’ He teased in return.

‘’Well, when you have a Duchy to rule, things get busy from time to time.’’ George explained with a serious look, sending Charles into laughter. ‘’Are you busy with ruling, or with other things though?’’ The Prince asked as he not so subtly smiled over at Alex, who, given his lower station, had remained a bit on the side. ‘’Are you implying anything, Your Serene Highness?’’ The Lord now asked Charles, smiling when the Monegasque hugged him tightly. ‘’I missed you too, Charles.’’

They spoke for a little while longer, just catching up as four old friends from university, until George finally excused himself. ‘’Gentlemen, it’s been an absolute pleasure, but I have to go and close the ball now. I’ll see you all soon. Either here or at the club.’’ He told them, before he got up and walked up the steps of his manor, giving him a good overview over the entirety of the ball.

He raised his hand to the orchestra, who instantly stopped playing, and smiled at the gathered crowd. ‘’Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for an absolutely wonderful evening. I hope that you’ve all enjoyed yourselves here tonight, and I for one cannot wait until we can do this all over again next year. I wish you all a good night, and a good journey home. And to the new marriage prospects I say…Good luck!’’ 

With those words from the Duke, the ball ended, and people started to take their leave and returned to their carriages to go home. Max sighed happily. The evening had gone a lot better than he had thought halfway through, and Charles was just the absolute best. Max really was a bit off in his own head again, and so it wasn’t long before he walked into someone for the second time that evening.

Max groaned softly at the sudden impact, but he could only hear laughter from the person he had walked into. ‘’My Lord, we really have to stop meeting like this.’’ Daniel said with an amused smile as he looked at Max. ‘’Were your thoughts somewhere else or are you truly this bad at handling your drink?’’ He asked curiously, a little twinkle in his eyes as he looked at the Viscount.

Max blushed even deeper than before this time, biting his lip for a moment as Daniel spoke to him, before he finally managed to get his brain working again. ‘’I was simply thinking about our last meeting, Your Grace. And how charming you were and continue to be now.’’ He told the Duke, earning himself a chuckle in return.

‘’Thank you, Max. I look forward to the next time that you run into me. And may I say that your dances with the Prince were most impressive. My Lord.’’ With those last words, Daniel nodded his head and took his leave, stepping into his own carriage and riding off as Max watched him. He stepped into his own carriage then, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Tomorrow was going to be a weird day.


	2. Promenade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! Aaaahhh I'm actually writing 2 fics at the same time. It's both exciting and extremely terrifying!
> 
> I just love the whole idea of this fic so much that I could just not stop myself from writing it. I looooooove this aesthetic and everything about it. Also: New character introduction :D
> 
> Hope you enjoy, let me know! <3

_Dearest reader,_

_Marriage prospects far and wide, rejoice! For there is Royalty within the ton this season. His Serene Highness, first in line to the principality of Monaco, has joined the social season in search of an appropriate marriage match. This writer might even go so far as to say that His Grace, the Duke of Somerset, is no longer the most eligible bachelor on the marriage market._

_And though many might fancy their chances with the handsome Prince, it seems one member of the ton in particular has already caught his eye. For last night, during the Duke of Norfolk’s most elegant and successful ball, it was the Viscount Verstappen who managed not one, not two, but three dances in succession with the eligible Prince._

_It was a quick turn in fortune for the aforementioned Viscount, after this writer had predicted that most of the ton would steer clear of the debt-ridden gentleman. But, dear reader, even I could not have predicted that the Prince would be so immediately infatuated with the Viscount, something that is likely to greatly improve his eligibility on the marriage market as a whole._

_Then, dearest reader, there is the matter of the Duke of Norfolk and his upcoming betrothal. For at this point, I doubt there is anyone left in the ton who will disagree when this writer asserts that the Duke has fallen hopelessly in love with the Lord Albon. A love that is reciprocated in no less than equal measure, I am assured. I don’t know about you, dear reader, but this writer can already hear wedding bells in the not too distant future._

***

As Max was having his breakfast, Lando had stormed in, demanding that he read the newest Lady Opscura paper. He finished his toast as he skimmed through it, finally humming a little as he put the booklet down to look over at Lando, who was grinning with excitement. 

‘’Isn’t it just the best?!’’ Lando asked his friend, who sighed softly. ‘’Do I really need to be grateful or something for this Lady Opscura talking me up after she first revealed my secrets and attempted to ruin all of my chances for a good partner before the season had good and well started?’’ Max replied, still looking very unamused as he sat back in his chair and sipped from his tea.

‘’Well you could at least be a little excited... I had no idea that Charles was interested in you in this way. Or you in him. I thought you’d be all over Somerset.’’ Lando noted curiously, making Max shrug a little. ‘’Well…yeah…’’ He said. He considered telling Lando about what arrangement he had come to with Charles, but he decided that the fewer people knew, the better. And if even his closest friends thought he was being for real, then it had to work.

‘’You know that Charles and I have hooked up a couple of times at uni. We just…we saw each other last night, and just hit it off. You know how it is.’’ Max finally explained, seemingly to Lando’s satisfaction. ‘’Hmmmm.’’ The young man hummed in return. ‘’Are you expect-‘’ He started to ask, before one of Max’s servants walked into the dining room and cleared his throat. ‘’A visitor, my Lord.’’ He told Max, who looked a little surprised. It was still very early for people to come over. Other than Lando of course, but he basically lived at Max’s. 

The Viscount was quick to dust himself off a little, sitting up straighter, before he nodded at the servant. ‘’You can let them in, John. Thank you.’’ He told the man, who nodded and went out of the room for a moment, before he returned and cleared his throat. ‘’His Serene Highness, the Prince Charles of Monaco.’’ He announced, and Charles walked in with a bright smile, carrying a bouquet of roses.

‘’Goodm-Oh, Lando.’’ Charles said, looking more than a little surprised that the young Lord was there as well. ‘’Hi Charles.’’ Lando said happily, getting up and walking over to give his friend a hug. ‘’You good? I didn’t get a chance to talk to you last night.’’

After taking a moment to find his composure again after the initial shock, Charles chuckled a little to himself at the ever informal Lando. ‘’Hello, Lando.’’ He said as he hugged his friend back. ‘’I’ve been good, thank you. I saw you were busy last night. I wanted to come and speak with you, but you always seemed busy chatting up every good looking person you could find.’’ He said and continued to laugh a little. ‘’I felt slighted that that list didn’t include me if I’m honest.’’

‘’Oh Charlie.’’ Lando said and shook his head on the Prince. ‘’I know better than to try and get with you.’’ He said, patting Charles’ cheek a little. ‘’You’re clearly busy with our Maxy already.’’ He said, winking before he stepped away to sit back down, planning to watch the interaction between his two friends.

‘’Max.’’ Charles then said, like he had completely forgotten for a moment what he had come there to do. He walked over to the Viscount, a big smile spreading on his face again. ‘’I brought you something.’’ He said, making Max chuckle in return as he got up and gave Charles a hug of his own. ‘’Hi, Charles. I can see that.’’ He told the Prince, placing a kiss on his cheek before he pulled back with a smile and took the roses from him. 

‘’Thank you very much. They’re gorgeous.’’ Max told Charles, smelling them for a moment as he sighed happily. ‘’Like you.’’ The Prince replied, and the words hadn’t even left his mouth before Lando was chiming in. ‘’Ooohhh, he’s a keeper, Maxy. He brings gifts and he’s a real smooth talker.’’ He commented with a grin, earning himself a glare from the Viscount.

‘’Stop being a dick, Lando.’’ Max told his friend, before he gave Charles another friendly smile. ‘’Would you like to go promenade in the park together?’’ He asked the Prince curiously, before he glanced over at Lando. ‘’Without people making annoying comments at us that is.’’ He added for good measure, making Charles chuckle again. ‘’I would be delighted, Max. My carriage is still out in front, we can take it to the park.’’

Max nodded at the suggestion. ‘’Would you allow me a moment to go and freshen up before we go?’’ He asked Charles, who nodded. ‘’Of course. I you’d like I can take the time to kindly ask our friend over there to go home.’’ He told the Viscount with an amused smile. ‘’No, you don’t have to. Lando knows when he’s overstayed his welcome, right Lando?’’ 

Max looked over at his friend then, who was currently busy stuffing some cookies in his mouth. He chewed quickly, grinning again after swallowing. ‘’Yeah, fine. I’ll go over to Alex’s and give him an excuse to go and visit George so they can go and have sex or whatever.’’ He told his friends, getting up and making an overly elaborate bow. ‘’My Lord, Your Serene Highness.’’ He greeted the two, before he took his leave.

Max shook his head as Lando left the room, sighing softly. ‘’He is so ridiculous.’’ He told Charles, who chuckled happily to himself. ‘’That’s why we love him though, isn’t it?’’ He told Max, before he took a step back. ‘’You go and get yourself ready then, I will meet you at the carriage.’’ 

The Viscount nodded in response to the Prince and quickly left the room, hurrying upstairs to go and freshen up before they went to promenade together in the park. It was only a minute or so later that Max’s servant walked back into the room, giving Charles a bow. ‘’Your Serene Highness, the Viscount has another suitor calling. Might I let him wait here with you for his Lordship to return?’’ The man asked, making Charles frown for a moment.

‘’I…of course, yes.’’ Charles finally told the man, who left for a moment, before he returned to the drawing room. ‘’The Marquess of Hertford, the Lord Lewis Hamilton.’’ As the new suitor was announced, Charles’ eyes widened for a moment. The Marquess was one of the most eligible bachelors around. Besides Daniel, he was practically at the top of everyone’s lists, and people were throwing themselves at him by the dozens.

Lewis walked in after a moment, and bowed once he noticed Charles. ‘’Your Serene Highness.’’ He said, smiling as he looked back up. ‘’I hadn’t expected you here this early in the morning. I tried to make sure I was on time.’’ He noted, chuckling a little. ‘’Have I already missed my chance to invite the Viscount out today then?’’ He asked curiously.

Charles smiled politely at the Marquess, giving him a nod in return when the man bowed to him. ‘’Good to see you, my Lord. Yes, in fact. After dancing with the Viscount last evening I could not wait to see him again, so I came over as early as I could.’’ He explained to Lewis, who smiled a little forced, obviously not enjoying the fact that he had been beaten in the hunt.

‘’I am actually taking His Lordship out to the park to promenade with him. But perhaps he has some free time for you at a later date, my Lord.’’ Charles told the Marquess, who huffed a little. ‘’Then I will return tomorrow.’’ He informed the Prince, narrowing his eyes a little on what he assumed was his competition, before he left without even speaking to the man he had come for.

Lewis had barely left again, or Max came walking back into the drawing room, looking a little confused. ‘’Did I just see…the Marquess of Hertford walk out of my house…?’’ He asked Charles, who nodded. ‘’Yes. He came to see you, but I told him that you already had plans with me, so he left. He might try again sometime though, you never know.’’ He told Max.

As he watched Max’s face go from surprise, to shock, to anger, Charles made a quick decision to try and save his own life. ‘’Let’s go then, shall we?’’ He suggested, quickly walking off before the Viscount could yell at him. Charles hurried to his carriage, quickly climbing inside and looking outside, seemingly very interested in whatever there was to see as Max climbed in after him.

‘’Are you kidding me, Charles?’’ Max finally said, absolutely fuming as he stared at his friend from across the carriage. ‘’The Marquess of fucking Hertford wanted to see me. Do you have any idea how big of a deal that is?!’’ He demanded, and Charles had to swallow a little at the intensity with which Max was currently staring at him. ‘’I can explain…’’ He said quietly, and Max huffed. ‘’Well you better have a really good explanation for all of this, because I am furious with you right now.’’

Charles sighed then, biting his lip for a moment before he started to talk again. ‘’I know that kind of man, Max. The only reason that he is interested in you is because you were with me last night. He wants the shiniest thing, the thing that he cannot have. What better way to make him even more interested in you than to make him wait a little longer?’’ He explained, giving Max a smile when he finished to hopefully help his argument a little more.

Max hummed in return, thinking it over for a moment before he finally sighed deeply. ‘’Are you sure?’’ He asked Charles, who nodded and smiled. ‘’I am, Maxy. This will only help you in the long-term, I promise.’’ He assured the viscount, who sat back against the back of his seat with a long sigh. ‘’I trust you.’’ Max told the Prine as he looked at him again. ‘’I trust you, Charles. Please don’t do anything to ruin things for me.’’

Charles gave Max a warm, sincere smile in return, reaching out to take his hand for a moment. ‘’I only want the best for you, Maxy. I promise.’’ He assured his friend. The rest of the carriage ride went by fairly quickly, and they stepped out once they got to St James’ park. It was a beautiful day and the sun was out, the perfect weather for a nice stroll around the greenery of the park. Especially when most of the ton was there to see them in public together. 

Charles offered Max his arm as they stepped out of the carriage, and once the Viscount had taken it, they started to slowly promenade through the park together, turning every single head in view without exception. ‘’We are quite the attraction.’’ Charles noted with a chuckle, smiling brightly as he glanced over at Max a few times, who still looked rather nervous.

‘’We’ll be fine, Maxy. I know how this works. You just try to relax and just have a nice day out with one of your best friends, yes?’’ Charles suggested to the Viscount, who nodded softly and took a deep breath. ‘’No pressure, alright.’’ He told Charles, managing a small smile as they strolled.

They ended up spending most of the morning and early afternoon in the park. Once the pressure was off for Max, they just had a really nice time, strolling as they caught up on the months since Charles had returned to Monaco. ‘’So what exactly happened with your dad? I have heard most from George and Alex, but I haven’t had the chance to talk to you about it any further than your letters.’’

The subject made Max sigh, and he shrugged a little. ‘’I don’t really know what more there is to tell, Charles. He was the absolute worst, as you well know…and when he died he left me a very substantial gambling debt that I am struggling to pay off. ‘’ He told his friend, who hummed softly. ‘’But aren’t George and Lando absolutely flush with money? Not to even speak of me…why have you never asked for any of our help with the debt?’’ He asked curiously. He thought he knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from Max himself.

The Viscount in question shrugged again. ‘’I don’t want to bring any of you into this. I hate asking my friends for money, it’s…it’s demeaning.’’ He told Charles, sighing deeply again before he continued to speak. ‘’I just don’t want to get you involved. He was my father, it’s my problem. I’ll take care of it myself.’’ He told the Prince, who hummed softly as he smiled at Max.

‘’It’s admirable for sure, but…you are so incredibly stubborn, Maxy.’’ Charles said, laughing a little to himself as they walked. ‘’You know that everyone would help you if you just asked. But I’m sure that you will figure it out on your own. You’re a smart guy, you always have been. I have faith that you’ll figure all this out.’’ Max smiled at Charles’ kind words and nodded softly. ‘’Thank you, Charles.’’ He told the Prince, giving him a sweet smile as they walked back towards the carriage. 

As they got back in, Max hummed again, getting an idea. ‘’Was Alex going over to George’s today?’’ He asked curiously, smiling when he got a nod from Charles in return. ‘’Well then how about you stay at my house for dinner? I’d love to have you there, it’s a little quiet on my own.’’ He offered, making Charles smiled brightly. ‘’I’d love to stay for dinner!’’ He said excitedly. ‘’I meant to ask, why are you on your own? Where are your mom and sister?’’ He asked as he tapped the roof of the carriage, signalling that they could depart.

‘’Well, Victoria is still a little young for the season and mom absolutely hates it, so they decided to stay at the country house for time being.’’ Max explained. ‘’At least this way I don’t have anyone to bother me at home though, so that part is nice.’’ He said and chuckled a little. They returned back to Max’s house together once Charles was satisfied with his answer, and spent the rest of the afternoon getting their drink on with the most expensive whisky that Max still had down in the cellar. Charles had certain standards after all.

They enjoyed a nice dinner together, and finally ended up in Max’s drawing room, nursing some expensive wine as they sat by a crackling fire. ‘’Do you remember these kind of nights back in uni? Where we just sat together talking for hours, drinking?’’ Charles finally asked, sighing happily as he shifted his gaze from the fire over at Max, who nodded softly.

‘’Those were the days.’’ He answered with a pleased sigh. ‘’Especially because at the ends of those nights we usually ended up in each other’s bed.’’ Max noted with a smirk, glancing over at Charles. He found the Prince staring back at him, the look in his eyes somehow very recognisable to the Viscount. They put their glasses down at pretty much the exact same moment, before they both got up, silently facing each other.

The two men stared into each other’s eyes for another, single moment, before Charles pounced, moving into Max’s space and pressing his lips against the Viscount’s, taking what he could, but still hungry for more.


	3. The Marquess of Hertford

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3!
> 
> Sooooo many things happen here! :D
> 
> We're finally getting into things for all you Maxiel fans out there ;)

Max woke up in Charles’ arms the next morning. He had insisted on the Prince staying over after they’d slept together, not wanting to send him back to George’s in the middle of the night. He took a deep breath as he slowly opened his eyes, nuzzling a little further into the Prince’s chest for a moment as he felt Charles’ embrace tightening a little around him. He hummed a little at the nice feeling, and stretched as much as he could without disturbing his friend’s sleep.

Last night had been fun. It had almost been like they were back in university, having just some casual sex that made both of them feel good for the night. Or really, into the next morning too, given how nice and relaxed Max currently felt. Charles was an amazing cuddler, and the way that the Prince was holding him was just really nice. The Viscount could feel Charles stirring underneath him not long after, and the Prince groaned a little as he woke up, bringing a hand up to rub at his eyes.

‘’Good morning.’’ Max said with a chuckle, making Charles freeze for a second, before he looked down. ‘’Oh…okay…so I didn’t dream last night then…’’ He told the Viscount, before he started to chuckle a little. ‘’Good morning, Maxy.’’ Max laughed a little in response and shook his head. ‘’You’re ridiculous.’’ He told his friend, slowly sitting up and stretching himself out a little more, before he stepped out of bed. 

He was still fully naked, pushing his hands through his hair and taking a deep breath to wake himself up a little more, before he started getting dressed. ‘’You want to stay for breakfast?’’ He asked Charles curiously, who was a little busy staring at Max’s naked body to hear a word of what he had to say. The Viscount frowned a little when he didn’t get an answer, turning back to Charles and clearing his throat. ‘’Charles? Breakfast?’’ He asked, making the Prince blink a few times as he got back to himself.

‘’Uhh….no, thank you. I’ll head back to George’s and get some food on the way over.’’ Charles told Max, blushing slightly as he got out of bed and started getting dressed again as well. He knew of course that Lewis would be coming over again soon, and he didn’t want to cause a scandal by being there that morning. Everyone knew that the men of the ton were often sleeping around, but getting openly caught doing so was something entirely different.

Once Charles was dressed, he walked over again to Max and kissed his cheek, giving him a kind smile as he pulled away. ‘’I’ll see you soon, Maxy. Take care.’’ He told his friend, before he quickly took his leave. Max finished getting ready for the day soon after, spending some more time on making sure that he looked his best, before he went downstairs to take his breakfast. 

Max read his morning papers as he ate his breakfast, like he did every day, before he retreated to his study. As Viscount, he was a member of His Majesty’s government, a position he had inherited from his father. It was a lot of boring, endless paperwork, but most of all, it was yet another terrible mess that he had to try and fix. He worked at that for an hour or three, getting more depressed by all of it by the minute, before finally, around one in the afternoon, there was a knock on his door and a servant walked in. ‘’You have a caller, my Lord.’’

Max raised an eyebrow then, humming softly. ‘’Who is it?’’ He asked curiously, getting up already. ‘’The Marquess of Herford, my Lord.’’ The servant answered, and Max’s eyes widened immediately. ‘’O-oh…’’ He said, quickly dusting himself off. ‘’I’ll receive him in the drawing room. How do I look?’’ He asked, holding out his arms a little so the man could judge his appearance. ‘’Impeccable, sir.’’ The reply came, making Max let out a relieved sigh.

He quickly headed over to the drawing room, parading around for a moment, until the servant walked in once more. ‘’The Marquess of Hertford, my Lord. The Lord Lewis Hamilton.’’ Lewis walked in the moment he was announced, smiling brightly when he saw that it was just Max this time. ‘’Viscount Verstappen.’’ He greeted, and Max bowed his head for a moment. ‘’Marquess.’’ He greeted in return.

‘’I’m honoured to have you in my home.’’ Max told the man, who chuckled softly. ‘’That is quite alright, but thank you.’’ Lewis replied, sitting down on the couch once Max did the same. ‘’Would you like some tea?’’ The Viscount asked quickly, remembering his manners after getting over the shock of having such an eligible bachelor in his house to call on him. Lewis chuckled a little again, shaking his head. ‘’Thank you, but I’ll decline. I really wanted to propose something to you instead.’’

Max hummed softly, raising an eyebrow and nodding. ‘’Of course, go right ahead.’’ He offered, before Lewis continued to speak. ‘’I have never been fond of getting to know someone in a setting such as this. You have a lovely home, but I think it is much more interesting to see what people are like in public. So in that sense, I would like to invite you to lunch. If you are free, of course.’’ Lewis proposed with a charming smile.

Max only had to think for a split second, before he nodded quickly in response. ‘’Yes. I would absolutely love to.’’ He answered with a bright smile of his own. ‘’Great!’’ Lewis said happily, clapping his hands as he got up again. ‘’There is an absolutely amazing restaurant that I know of right here in Belgravia.’’ He told Max. ‘’Have you heard of the Restaurant de Paris?’’ He asked curiously.

‘’I…yes, of course I have.’’ Max answered, getting up as well to follow Lewis out to his carriage. ‘’But isn’t that restaurant nearly impossible to get a table at?’’ He asked curiously, making the Marquess laugh as he stepped back into his carriage, sitting down opposite from Max. ‘’There are some serious upsides to having a high-ranking title such as mine. One of which is that people absolutely love it when you visit their establishments.’’ He told Max with a smirk. ‘’So let’s find out together just how hard it is for me to get a table for lunch.’’

The carriage ride to the restaurant was nice and pleasant. Lewis was quite obviously a master of social interaction, asking questions that allowed him to learn as much about Max in as short a time as possible. He was also skirting around the subject of Max’s father as much as he possibly could, not wanting to make things awkward. It was nice, and Lewis seemed to be as nice as Max had hoped he would be.

Once they got to the restaurant, they made their way inside together, walking up to the Maître D’. ‘’Name of the reservation, sir?’’ The man asked, not looking up from the large book that he was currently writing in. Lewis cleared his throat then, raising an eyebrow at the man. ‘’I’m sorry, I have not made a reservation. Will that be a problem?’’ He asked, making the Maître D’ laugh.

‘’My apologies sir, but in that case I’m going to have to ask you to le-‘’ He started, before he looked up and recognised just who was standing in front of him. He stopped laughing instantly, looking absolutely mortified at his own actions. ‘’My sincerest apologies, Marquess. O-of course we have a table for you.’’ He told the man, quickly going through his book before apparently finding what he was looking for. ‘’A party of two, my Lord?’’ He asked Lewis for good measure.

‘’That’s right.’’ Lewis replied, looking very pleased with himself as the Maître D’ nodded and started to guide them through the restaurant. They got one of the best tables, right in the middle of the place, right in view of everyone, and Max realized that Lewis had not been lying when he said that these places wanted to show off their clientele. He spotted some other faces that he recognised then. George and Alex for one, looking longingly into each other’s eyes as they talked, and at the table next to them, the Duke of Somerset, looking somewhat less jovial than usual as he was in conversation with the woman sitting across from him.

Max sat down together with Lewis, ordering his lunch when the waiter came over to take their orders, before Lewis spoke up as they relaxed and had a drink. ‘’So how long have you known the Prince?’’ He asked curiously. The question surprised Max a little, but he figured it was reasonable, given that Lewis probably only noticed him for the first time when he was with Charles. ‘’Since university. We were in the same year together.’’ He explained, and the Marquess hummed a little.

‘’So you are friends then?’’ He continued, making Max frown slightly for a moment. ‘’Yes…? We are. Why?’’ He asked the man, who just shrugged a little. ‘’No reason in particular. I was just wondering how you came to be so close with him.’’ Lewis explained. The conversation fell silent for a moment, and Max suddenly got a little nervous. He didn’t want Lewis to continue to ask about Charles, their whole courtship was a lie after all.

‘’So when did you then become romantically interested in each other?’’ Lewis continued after a minute, and Max groaned inwardly. This really is not the topic of conversation that he wanted to have. It was the next sentence though, that made Max have a sudden realisation of Lewis’ intentions. ‘’Or are you two really…just…friends?’’ The Marquess asked. The words and the tone that Lewis used made Max close his eyes for a second, as he realized how right Charles had been the day before.

Lewis was really only interested in the hunt. Of stealing his potential partner away from someone that made it that much more exciting. If Charles wasn’t interested in Max, then Lewis probably wasn’t either. God, what was he doing? He was having lunch with a man who didn’t care about him. All he cared about was having a win over someone higher in rank than himself. It was disgusting.

Max suddenly got up then, nearly knocking the table over by how forcefully he did so. ‘’Please excuse me for a minute.’’ He told Lewis, before he walked off in the direction of the restaurant’s outside space in the back, needing to breathe for a moment. He was breathing a little heavily as he walked to the back, rushing to get out into the fresh air. His mind was absolutely racing, and he was having a bit of an emotional crisis as he stormed outside, only to run full speed into someone else who was just walking back in. 

Max had bowed down his head a little as he walked, and he managed to run into this person’s shoulder in such a bad way that he immediately felt a sting of pain on his face. ‘’Oh, god…’’ He groaned, putting a hand on his face as he stumbled backwards against the wall outside. 

‘’Oh god, are you okay?’’ The man asked as he crouched down a little to look at Max’s face. ‘’Shit, you’re bleeding.’’ He quickly ran inside for a moment, returning with a napkin that he handed over to the Viscount. ‘’Here you go.’’ He said. As Max took the napkin, the haze finally faded from his eyes, and he saw that he had managed to run into the Duke of Somerset for the third time in just as many days. ‘’Oh fuck…’’ He grumbled, groaning as he used the napkin to try and stop the bleeding.

‘’I’m so sorry, Your Grace.’’ Max mumbled, feeling so awful for doing this again to the handsome Duke. Daniel just chuckled softly and smiled at Max. ‘’Sit down.’’ He told the man, sitting down himself on the ground right next to the Viscount, who watched for a moment, before he finally did the same. ‘’Bad date?’’ Daniel asked curiously. 

When he got a bit of a wide-eyed look from Max, the Duke started to laugh happily. ‘’Don’t worry. I have the exact same problem. I went on a date with this girl because her mother used to be friends with my mom, but she’s just so incredibly boring.’’ He shared with Max, giving him a pleasant smile. ‘’Maybe we’re both here with the wrong person. Maybe the universe is trying to tell us something with having you run into me all the time.’’ He teased, and Max was pretty sure he’d be blushing if he wasn’t currently fighting a nosebleed.

‘’Are you saying that you want to go out with me, Your Grace?’’ Max finally asked, and Daniel chuckled softly. The Viscount’s words were a little muffled by the napkin, and it was just endlessly entertaining to the Duke. ‘’Well I wouldn’t be opposed like that.’’ Daniel replied. ‘’At the very least I’m sure that it would be a lot more entertaining that my date with Ms. Boring.’’ He said as he looked back at Max’s nose. 

‘’Remove the napkin for a moment and let me see.’’ He told the Viscount, who did as he was told. Daniel hummed softly as he inspected Max’s nose, before he suddenly leaned in and placed a small kiss on the tip. ‘’There. Kissed it all better.’’ He said, breaking into laughter instantly after. He smiled brightly at Max then, having just come up with an idea. 

‘’Would you like to get out of here with me?’’ Daniel asked, smirking a little as he tried to bring his absolutely brilliant plan into motion. ‘’I…yeah.’’ Max admitted. ‘’I do, but…I can’t just blow the Marquess off. I’d never get rid of the scandal of such a snub…’’ He told Daniel, who only grinned wider. ‘’I got that covered. You just put that napkin back against your nose and follow my lead. I’ll have us out of here in no time.’’

Daniel took Max’s hand to help him up from the ground, and Max noticed very well how he held on just a little longer than strictly necessary. It made the Viscount smile, and he put the napkin back at his nose as Daniel guided him inside. He was directed over to Daniel’s table first, where the Duke seemed to be made for this lie. 

‘Alice. My most sincerest apologies, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to reschedule our get together. A terrible accident happened with the Viscount here, and I need to take him to a healer to take care of him. Please, stay though. I will pay for your lunch.’’ He told the poor girl, before they were off without her managing to get even a single word in.

They rushed to Max and Lewis’ table then, where the Marquess went wide-eyed at the sight of Max and his bloody napkin. ‘’Lewis. An accident happened outside and the Viscount is bleeding heavily. I’m going to take him to my doctor to get checked out.’’ Lewis frowned for a moment then, before he made a move to get up. ‘’Well, I’m sure I can-‘’ He started, only to be immediately interrupted by Daniel.

‘’No, please. This is all my fault. It’s bad enough that I ruined the Viscount’s lunch, I won’t have it that I ruined yours, too. Please stay, I insist. I will pay of course, that’s the least I can do.’’ Daniel said, before he, once again, started to walk away from the table before Lewis could get a single other word in. He guided Max outside and climbed into his carriage after the Viscount, after which they departed as quickly as possible, much to Daniel’s seemingly endless delight.

‘’You…are a deviant.’’ Max noted with a grin, smiling gratefully as Daniel handed him a small mirror and some water so that he could fix his face. It wasn’t too bad, there was just a little blood. ‘’Well I had to get creative to get some alone time with you now, didn’t I?’’ The Duke replied, seemingly incredibly pleased with himself. It made Max chuckle, and once he had freshened up, he looked out the window.

‘’Where are we going anyway?’’ He asked curiously, sending Daniel into a bright grin. ‘’We’re going to watch some illegal boxing, of course.’’ He told the Viscount, making Max’s mouth fall open in shock. Oh, this was going to be fun.


	4. The Duke of Somerset

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter the fourth!
> 
> AKA the Dan chapter! :D
> 
> Get ready, cause it's all Dan, all the time <3
> 
> Thank you all for the great feedback on this fic, it so nice to hear that people are enjoying it!!

They got to the boxing venue not long after Daniel revealing to Max that they were actually going there, with the Duke looking as excited as ever as he stepped out of the carriage. He looked around for a moment, before turning back, offering Max his hand. ‘’My Lord.’’ He greeted, his trademark smile on full display as Max chuckled in return. ‘’Your Grace.’’ He replied, taking Daniel’s hand and allowing for the Duke to help him out of the carriage. 

He politely let go of Daniel’s hand once he was back on solid ground, but the Duke was quick to offer his arm instead, an offer that Max took immediately and without hesitation. ‘’This should be fun.’’ He told Daniel with an amused smile of his own, walking inside with the man once the Duke had flashed his tickets to the men keeping a guard outside.

The first thing that Max noticed inside was how just how noisy it was. There was quite a large crowd in the room, and they all seemed incredibly restless and excited for the spectacle to come. ‘’Are you a gambling man, My Lord?’’ Daniel asked, making Max’s smile fade instantly and his complexion go a little pale as he stared at the Duke. Everyone knew about his father’s gambling debt, right?

‘’I…’’ Max started, and it only took a second longer for Daniel to figure out what was going on. ‘’Oh, my…I am so sorry, Max. I didn’t mean to…my sincerest apologies.’’ He told the Viscount, looking very serious all of a sudden. ‘’I just….I wanted to do something fun and romantic, I wasn’t thinking.’’ He explained himself. Max perked up a little again at those words, and he frowned slightly as he into the Duke’s eyes again.

‘’What do you mean? Romantic how?’’ Max asked, a little curious again all of a sudden. ‘’Well…’’ Daniel started, before he sighed softly. ‘’I might as well tell you now, right? I was going to propose a wager, moneyless of course, where if my guy won, I got to ask you for something, or vice versa.’’ He explained to Max, who started to chuckle and smiled at Daniel again.

‘’Well that does sound fun actually. And you were going to ask for something romantic…?’’ The Viscount asked curiously. It was Daniel’s turn to start laughing then, and he shook his head as he grinned over at Max. ‘’That would be telling.’’ He told the Viscount with a wink. ‘’Are you willing to accept my proposal then?’’ He asked curiously. 

Max hummed for a moment, before he finally nodded. ‘’I will accept.’’ He said, giving the Duke a smile. ‘’Pick your man and we’ll see who wins in the end.’’ They made their way over to the stands then, taking their seats while Max took in the two fighters. Really, he had no idea. Both men seemed strong and capable, but Daniel seemed to be very sure of himself. ‘’The red corner is my man.’’ He told Max seriously.

The Viscount in question pretended to his best ability to look very serious, and like he knew what he was talking about. ‘’Are you sure? The blue corner looks to me like the man with the better weight to muscle ratio.’’ Max told Daniel, who just burst out laughing. ‘’Yeah. Uh huh. Sure he does.’’ He told Max through his giggles, seeming endlessly entertained as he looked fondly at the man. Max was about to continue speaking, but he got cut off by the bell that indicated the start of the fight going off. They had arrived to the venue fairly late, and so the fight was already beginning.

For the first two rounds of the match, the men seemed to be almost evenly matched. They traded their blows, but neither of them seemed to really be able to penetrate the other’s guard to a point where they were doing serious damage. That changed in the third round though. 

As soon as the third round started, Daniel’s man, the fighter from the red corner, immediately had the upper hand. It was as though he had found a new well of stamina to pull from, fighting like a man reborn. He managed to land blow after blow and next to Max, Daniel was getting very excited. ‘’COME ON MAN. TAKE HIM OUT. END IT!’’ He called out loudly, much to Max’s amusement.

As soon as Daniel’s enthusiasm had come though, it faded. His man had seemed on the verge of victory, almost about to take it all, when suddenly, seemingly out of absolutely nowhere, the fighter from the blue corner managed to get in one last punch. The last of his strength, an all or nothing attempt. Given that Daniel’s fighter had gone fully on the offensive at this point, he hadn’t expected it, and so it worked to the fullest. The man went down in one hit, fully knocked out much to the Duke’s shock.

His mouth fell open at the sight, and he slumped back down into his seat, looking deflated. ‘’He was…I was…’’ He stammered when Max looked at him, and the Viscount just started to laugh. ‘’It’s fine, Your Grace. I won’t ask you for anything too difficult.’’ He teased the man with a chuckle. Max turned back to the ring then, watching the aftermath of the fight, in which the fighter from the blue corner was crowned the victor. 

Daniel recovered from the shock soon enough as well, and he had to speak with a few more acquaintances of his, before he was finally ready to exit the venue with his date for the afternoon. Once they got outside, the Duke groaned, patting Max’s hand as it was hooked through his arm. ‘’Please, my Lord. Just tell me what you want already. I can’t bear the suspense any longer!’’ He told Max, who chuckled softly to himself. ‘’Fine, fine.’’ He told the Duke as they walked back to the carriage. 

Max waited until they had gotten into the carriage first, before he smiled over at Daniel. ‘’Since you cost me a lunch by attempting to break my nose when we were at the restaurant…’’ He started, and Daniel instantly started to laugh. ‘’You mean when you walked into me again and tried to break your own nose, but do go on.’’ He teased with a bit of a smirk, causing Max to fondly roll his eyes.

‘’Yes, since that, I haven’t actually had anything to eat since breakfast. And although by now it is getting a little late for lunch, I would absolutely love to have dinner with you. So that is my request.’’ Max’s words made Daniel hum, and the Viscount watched as the Duke considered his words for a moment. ‘’That is a more than reasonable request, my Lord. I though for sure you’d ask for something more interesting.’’ He teased first, before he turned somewhat serious again.

‘’It does sound like a very good plan. How is this for an idea: I will drop you off back at your house, and I will send the carriage to pick you up at 7.30 tonight. Then we can have a nice dinner together at Somerset House. It will be a lot easier to talk in private, I think.’’ Daniel suggested to Max, who instantly felt overjoyed, but tried his best not to show it.

He knew that Daniel did not often invite people over. An invite to the legendary Somerset House was highly sought after, and he just got one out of the blue like this. He hadn’t even meant for it, figuring they’d just go to another restaurant for the evening. ‘’It…It would be my pleasure, Your Grace.’’ He finally told the Duke, who broke into a bright grin the instant that Max agreed. 

‘’Good! Then it’s settled!’’ He told the Viscount excitedly, before he asked the coachman to take them back to Max’s house to drop him off. They spoke for a little longer before they got back to Max’s place, and Daniel even got out with the Viscount, walking him to the door and kissing his hand. ‘’I will see you tonight then, my Lord. I can hardly wait to lay eyes on you once more.’’ He flirted, and Max really could hardly contain himself. 

‘’Until tonight, Your Grace.’’ He told the Duke, before he finally headed inside, running upstairs as quickly as he could to finally find the room to breathe and scream in absolute excitement. Apparently he was dating the Duke of Somerset now and really, it was all thanks to Charles. He had to thank the Prince as soon as he saw him next. If this could really be his match, he would be forever in the man’s debt.

Max spent the next hours getting ready. He bathed again, got out his very finest suit and spent about a full hour making sure that every lock of hair was perfectly placed. He wanted to look his very best for the Duke. It was of absolutely vital importance. It took so much time that he nearly wasn’t ready yet when his butler came to announce that the carriage had arrived to take him to Somerset House.

Max was nervous for the entire ride over. It was stupid, he knew that. He had just spent a good amount of time with Daniel, and it had been nice and easy and relaxed, why would this be any different? He sighed as he asked himself the question, because he knew the answer. The afternoon had been a nice, fun coincidence, whereas this would be a very much planned date. It was entirely different in each and every way.

When he got to the House a few minutes later, Max could already see Daniel walking out to greet him as he arrived. He stepped out of the carriage with a bright smile, walking over to the Duke and shaking his hand. ‘’Your Grace.’’ He greeted, while Daniel’s smile only grew. ‘’Lord Verstappen. If I knew you’d be dressing this elegantly for the evening I too would have made sure to find my best suit.’’ He told the Viscount, who chuckled in return.

It was quite obvious that Daniel was currently wearing an outfit that had to be at least thrice as expensive as his own, but he did not mind. The compliment was meant well, and it was flattering to be told that he looked good. ‘’Well you look absolutely exquisite yourself, Your Grace.’’ Max told the Duke, who smiled even wider, before offering his arm. ‘’Allow me to give you a tour of the House.’’ He proposed.

Max did not need to be asked twice, immediately taking Daniel’s arm and walking along with him into the House. The inside was even better than Max had imagined. They had the most expensive looking furniture in the many, many rooms that made up the house, with the most incredible art that Max had ever seen filling every wall that he laid eyes on. It put even George’s manor to shame, and Max was fairly certain that this place could rival Buckingham Palace itself when it came to extravagance.

‘’So what do you think, my Lord?’’ Daniel asked when he had shown Max the entirety of the non-private rooms of the House, and Max just started laughing in response. ‘’It’s…it’s genuinely incredible, Your Grace. I’ve never seen anything like it.’’ He told the Duke, who hummed softly as he gazed into the Viscount’s eyes. ‘’That makes two of us.’’ He said quietly. 

Max was fairly certain he could feel his body tingling slightly at the Duke’s flirtatious words, and he bit his lip for a moment, before he slowly pulled away from the man and started to walk through the final room they had gotten to: the dining room. He just needed some distance from Daniel for a moment, fearing that he would not be able to hold himself back from kissing the man if he did not. 

‘’I notice that you have a lot of Romantic art in here, Your Grace.’’ Max attempted to change the subject, earning himself a hum from Daniel. ‘’Good eye, my Lord. Yes, I have always been a fan of the Roman era of art, so now, with the style making a comeback, I try and support as many of these artists as I can.’’ He explained, walking up behind the Viscount. He practically put his chin on the man’s shoulder, whispering into his ear as he started to explain the composition and meaning of the painting that Max was looking at. 

It was finally Daniel’s butler that saved the Viscount from doing something stupid, when he entered the room and informed the pair that dinner was ready and the first course would be served as soon as they wished. They sat down then, getting ready to eat, and Max soon found out that Daniel had spared absolutely no expense on their dinner together. They dined like Kings, with each course even more special and extravagant than the last.

There was absolutely no shortage of incredibly good wine either, and although Max knew that his boundaries usually got a little hazier after he had been drinking…take for example his extravagances with Charles, the vintage was too good not to drink. All in all, he was having an absolutely amazing time with the Duke. Daniel was kind, gallant, an incredibly fun conversational partner, and Max had by now grown certain that the man was constantly flirting with him, without being very subtle about it either.

After they had finished all five of their courses for the evening, the pair moved on to the drawing room of Somerset House, where Daniel had the butler bring over his favourite Romantic painting. He had Max admire it for a moment, before he snuck up behind the Viscount again, giving him a hug from behind as he put his chin down on the man’s shoulder. ‘’It’s absolutely gorgeous, isn’t it?’’ He asked, earning himself a pleased sigh from Max in return.

‘’It is.’’ The Viscount agreed quietly. ‘’It’s something very special indeed.’’ He hummed for a moment then, leaning back slightly against the Duke as he thought of something. ‘’Can I give you something?’’ He asked curiously, making Daniel frown a little as he looked at Max’s profile from his shoulder. ‘’Of course…what did you have in mind?’’ He asked curiously. 

Max started to move then, turning around in Daniel’s arms, ending up with the Duke’s hands on his hips as he looked into the man’s eyes. ‘’A consolation prize for losing our wager earlier today.’’ He told the man, who started chuckling softly. ‘’What exactly did you have in mind then, my Lord?’’ Daniel asked curiously.

Before he could convince himself not to do it, Max decided to just go for it now that he felt brave enough. It probably helped quite a lot that he had been drinking a little, but still. He moved forward then, closing his eyes at the very last moment as he gently pressed his lips against Daniel’s. It last only for a moment, but it felt incredible. It felt right. 

Max slowly opened his eyes again as he pulled away, only to see Daniel staring back at him with eyes wide of shock. The Viscount could instantly feel his heart sinking, and he stumbled back a little. ‘’O-oh god…I’m sorry…I thought…I…’’ He stammered, watching as Daniel’s expression slowly softened, before the Duke was surging forward himself, his lips back against Max’s before the Viscount even knew what was happening.

They made out for a minute, only breaking apart to take a breath, and Daniel looked hungrily into Max’s eyes. ‘’That was what I would’ve asked for I had won, my Lord. A kiss.’’


	5. Scandalous, Your Grace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Maxiel smut chapter you, me, WE have all been waiting for! You have been warned :)
> 
> Hope you enjoy, do let me know what you think! <3

‘’That was what I would’ve asked for if I had won, my Lord. A kiss.’’ Daniel said as he pulled away from Max’s lips. He was still staring into the Viscount eyes, and Max apparently looked hungry enough for the Duke to make a rather scandalous proposition. ‘’Would you maybe like to take this upstairs?’’ He asked Max. The Viscount stared at Daniel for a moment, before he broke into a grin, kissing the man deeply again. ‘’I thought you’d never ask.’’ He told the Duke quietly against his lips. 

In response, Daniel pulled away, taking Max’s hand and proceeding to drag him upstairs, to the house’s master bedroom. For a moment, Max was stunned as he was taken inside. The décor was opulent, to say the least. The floors were marble, with the most expensive looking paintings on the walls and rugs on the floor that Max thought he had ever seen. 

The only thing that managed to get Max out of his admiration for the room, was when Daniel suddenly appeared in front of him again, suddenly not wearing any clothing on his torso anymore. It made the Viscount gasp softly, and he reached out to gingerly touch the Duke’s abs as Daniel watched with an amused smile. ‘’I take it you like what you see?’’ He asked the man, making Max blush slightly. ‘’I…yeah…’’ He admitted.

Daniel smirked in return and stepped closer to Max then, kissing the Viscount once more as he started to undo the buttons of his shirt. ‘’Do you mind if I get to see a little more of you too, then?’’ He asked, making Max shiver gently. ‘’Y-yeah…’’ He consented, watching as Daniel slowly took off his shirt. They were equally undressed again at this point, and after putting Max’s shirt away, Daniel came back up behind Max, kissing his shoulders and neck as he hands found their way around his waist, gently caressing the skin.

‘’I want to fuck you so bad.’’ The Duke whispered, and Max was pretty sure he was about to come in his pants at that instant. He was already embarrassingly hard, and there were so many things that he wanted to do with Daniel that it was almost too difficult to decide. ‘’Please do.’’ He finally told the Duke, before he gasped softly as he felt the man’s fingers dipping underneath his waistband for a moment. ‘’Can I suck you off?’’

The words were out before Max even realized it, and he was blushing instantly the moment he realized what he’d said. God, he felt like such a blushing virgin around Daniel, not like someone who had occasional casual sex with a man that even outranked this Duke. Nonetheless, he could feel Daniel smirking against the skin of his neck, and the Duke teasingly bit into it for a moment, before he placed a kiss on the same spot. ‘’I would love to see your lips wrapped around my dick, my Lord.’’ He whispered into Max’s ear then, and fuck…Max was so gone for this man.

The Viscount nodded quickly, turning around in Daniel’s arms and gazing into his eyes for a moment as he attempted to undo the Duke’s pants. ‘’God, why do they make these pants so intricate?’’ He finally whined, his hands a little unsteady as Daniel chuckled. He put his hands on top of Max’s, placing a kiss on the Viscount’s forehead to stop him from fiddling so much. ‘’Save your strength for later, Max. You’ll need it.’’ He teased with a wink, quickly undoing his own pants, before he moved on to Max’s, undoing them just as quickly. 

Daniel pulled away again then, walking towards the bed as he pushed his pants and underwear down in one go. Max couldn’t help but let out a small moan as he watched. Daniel had some serious ass going for him, in stark contrast to how little Max had to work with whenever he got it on with Charles. The Duke was absolutely gorgeous, and it only continued when he laid down on his back on the sea of pillows that were spread out on the bed, slowly and teasingly stroking his impressively large cock as he smirked at the Viscount. ‘’Are you coming?’’

Max continued to watch for a moment, absolutely captivated by the insane sight in front of him. This was the actual Duke of Somerset. Naked. Stroking himself and asking Max to join him to come and suck him off. It was an absolute dream come true. The Viscount was quick to rid himself of his own pants and underwear, before he crawled onto Daniel’s almost rudely gigantic bed. He approached the Duke on all fours, with Daniel opening his impressive thighs for Max to get in between as the man came closer.

‘’Fuck, you’re so hot…’’ Max managed to say, getting between Daniel’s legs and unable to resist leaning down to kiss and nip at his inner thighs. It made the Duke gasp softly, and the Viscount was pretty certain that he had instantly found one of Daniel’s more sensitive zones on his body. That would be something to keep in mind. He shifted his gaze towards the Duke’s face as he slowly moved upwards, kissing his way up the man’s thighs until he reached his crotch. He gently took Daniel’s hand, taking it off of the Duke’s cock and putting it on his head instead. ‘’You can pull my hair a little if you like.’’ 

Max’s words made Daniel moan out loud, and the Viscount could see as the Duke’s cock twitched a little in clear interest. He was pretty sure he could see the head getting a little wetter as well, and Max had to hold himself back from licking at it to taste the man. He would, eventually, he just wanted to tease Daniel a little first. As Max reached the Duke’s crotch, he gently sucked one of the man’s balls into his mouth, which appeared to be very much to Daniel’s delight.

Max could hear the Duke moaning above him, and it really only helped him to spur him on further. He teased Daniel’s balls for a little while, before he finally wrapped his fingers around the man’s cock, stroking him almost agonizingly slowly. Max could tell that Daniel was quite a wriggly person, given how much his hips were moving around, but he did his best to keep the Duke in place by pressing down against him. He finally started to kiss his way up the man’s cock them, earning him breathless little moans from Daniel.

When Max finally reached the top, he stroked slowly downwards, exposing the tip of Daniel’s cock from his foreskin, glistening with pre-cum. The Viscount reached out with his tongue then, gently kitten licking at the tip to take his first taste. It didn’t taste amazing, but it wasn’t unpleasant either, and Max felt a little embarrassed as the first thought that popped into his head was that he could get used to this. It was really only Daniel’s almost guttural moan that brought him back into the real world, where the Duke stared down at him through lidded eyes. 

‘’Fuck…Max…please.’’ Daniel begged, and as Max used his free hand to gently massage the man’s balls, he realized that he really did have him in the palm of his hand. He could probably do whatever he wanted to at this point. The teasing properly over with now that Daniel had actually begged him for more though, Max stopped holding himself back. He had had plenty of experience over the years, not just with Charles, but also with a number of other hook-ups he’d had at university, and he damn well knew how to suck a cock.

He wrapped his lips around Daniel’s cock then, sucking him down and starting to bob his head soon after. He was mostly focused on teasing the man with his tongue, having been told on more than one occasion that when he shut up and put it to good use, his mouth was absolute fucking magic. It wasn’t long before Daniel was a hopeless, writhing mess underneath him, trying again and again to thrust up into Max’s mouth. If the Viscount hadn’t been holding him down, he’d long since have choked on his dick.

As he sucked him off, Daniel was almost continuously pulling at his hair, and Max would be lying if he didn’t say that it really fucking turned him on when people did that. It was really only a few short minutes later, and Max was still enjoying himself way too much to stop on his own, when Daniel suddenly pulled him off of his cock. ‘’Fuck…’’ The Duke mumbled, staring down at Max. ‘’I…fuck…I would absolutely love to have you use that mouth of yours a little more, but I really, really want to come inside of your ass, not your mouth.’’

Max let out a long moan then, moving upwards on Daniel’s body to kiss the man deeply in response. ‘’Fuck, please do.’’ He begged, feeling an absolute mess as he suddenly felt the Duke’s hands on his ass, squeezing and massaging the supple skin there, before he started to tease his hole. ‘’Want to feel you come inside me.’’ He told Daniel, spurring him on as the Duke reached out and grabbed the oil from his nightstand and put it on his fingers.

‘’I will, gorgeous. I most certainly will.’’ Daniel told the Viscount, slowly pressing a finger inside of Max with a soft hum. He could easily add a second, given Max had just had sex with Charles the night before, and it made him smirk a little. ‘’You naughty boy. Have you been playing with yourself?’’ He asked, and Max just nodded softly as he moaned. ‘’Y-yeah…’’ He told Daniel, burying his face into the man’s shoulder as he was fingered open.

Given Max’s earlier escapades, getting fingered open really didn’t take too long and the Duke smirked when he had the Viscount riding his fingers. ‘’Hmmmm, you look really good like this, gorgeous. You want to try riding me instead?’’ He suggested, and Max gasped softly. ‘’Fuck…yes. Want to fuck myself on you.’’ He told the Duke. Daniel pulled his fingers out then, helping Max to lift his hips a little as he positioned the both of them, before letting Max sink down onto his cock.

The Viscount let out a long, drawn-out moan as he sank down fully onto Daniel’s cock, and the Duke smirked as he watched. ‘’You feel so good, gorgeous. Made to take my dick.’’ He teased, and Max nodded quickly. ‘’Yeah, fuck. Love it.’’ He told the Duke, instantly starting to move his hips in response. He was properly riding Daniel before the Duke even really knew it, and the both of them turned into moaning messes as it went on. 

Max had Daniel as deep inside of him as he possibly could, riding him for dear life, and the Duke seemed to almost breathlessly watch the sight in front of him. It wasn’t long before he was pulling Max down, kissing him deeply as he started to meet the Viscount’s hips, thrusting up into him as Max almost yelped into his mouth. ‘’Fuck, I’m close.’’ The Duke moaned, earning him a small whine from Max in return. The Viscount sat back up, throwing his head back as he reached for Daniel’s hand and put it on his cock, wanting the Duke to help him reach his climax, too.

Max gasped out loud when Daniel finally touched him, jerking him off in tandem with his hips, and it wasn’t long before the Viscount felt that familiar feeling in his stomach, too. He moaned even louder, riding Daniel as hard as he could as he tried to get the Duke to come. ‘’Please, Daniel. Come for me. Want to feel you come inside of me.’’ He begged the man, and apparently, that was what sent him over the edge.

Daniel let out a loud moan, his grip on Max’s cock getting tighter as he thrusted up a final time, before he was coming. He shot his load into his lover, his hips sputtering up a few more times as he emptied himself. The feeling what was sent Max over the edge, too. He was looking down at Daniel’s come-face, feeling the man’s hand on his cock and the man coming inside of him, and it was just too much to handle. 

He came hard, shooting his load all over Daniel’s hand and most of his torso, before he found himself out of any energy whatsoever. He nearly fell down onto the Duke, but Daniel managed to catch him and gently rolled them over as he pulled out. ‘’Woooow there, gorgeous.’’ He said, chuckling softly. ‘’You did a lot of work there. Just relax, and I’ll take care of you.’’ He told his lover gently. He kissed Max again, soft and slow this time, before he left the bed. Max could hear some noises in the bathroom, and Daniel returned a minute later, slowly cleaning him up.

‘’Thank you.’’ Max said quietly, making Daniel chuckle softly. ‘’No, thank you. Honestly. That was absolutely incredible, Max.’’ He threw the washcloth away, before he crawled back into bed with Max and gently collected the Viscount in his arms. He kissed Max again then, slowly, lazily, his fingers running gently over his skin as Daniel was clearly enjoying the afterglow very much.

‘’You’re amazing.’’ He whispered to the Viscount, a pleased sigh escaping him as they cuddled together. ‘’You’ll stay the night, yeah?’’ He added quietly, and Max let out a small, sleepy hum as he curled up against Daniel’s side and placed a small kiss on his shoulder. ‘’I don’t even have enough energy left to move out of this bed. Not to mention go home…’’ He mumbled, making the Duke laugh.

‘’Well good, because I am very much looking forward to a round two in the morning.’’ He told the Viscount with a bit of a smirk, making Max chuckle this time in return. ‘’Well, I’d be fine with that, as long as you do the work that time.’’ He informed Daniel, who hummed softly. ‘’Well I was planning on eating you out and then I’ll bend you over the bed as I take you from behind. How does that sound?’’

Max could feel his dick twitch, and so did Daniel, given the way he was against the Duke’s side. It made the man smirk, and he hummed softly. ‘’I’ll take that as a yes.’’ He replied with a wink, before he pulled Max even closer. ‘’This won’t make things weird, will it?’’ He asked gently, as he pushed Max’s hair from his forehead. ‘’I don’t just want to fuck you. I genuinely like you, Max. I like you a lot.’’ He said quietly.

Daniel’s words made Max smile, and he closed the short distance between their lips, kissing the Duke again as they laid in bed together. ‘’I like you, too.’’ He said quietly, humming softly as he pulled away. ‘’And I hope it doesn’t change anything between us…even though I would really like to keep doing this, if you don’t mind.’’ He added with a bit of a chuckle.

Daniel grinned in return then, placing a kiss on Max’s forehead as he pulled up the covers and get ready to sleep. ‘’That really won’t be a problem, gorgeous. Especially not if it’s this good every time.’’ He pecked Max’s lips then, smiling as the Viscount yawned when he pulled away. ‘’Goodnight then, gorgeous. I’ll see you in the morning.’’ He said quietly.

Max returned a lazy smile, getting as comfortable as he possibly could in Daniel’s arms, before he closed his eyes, drifting off into a deep, satisfied sleep in the arms of his lover.


	6. The Betrothal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Let me know who you want Max to end up with and who you think it'll be :D

A few days later, Max was on his way to George’s estate for lunch, to celebrate the occasion of the now finally official betrothal of His Grace, the Duke of Norfolk, to the Lord Alexander Albon. Or so the announcement read. It would be a nice, private lunch. Just the pair of lovers, Max, Charles and Lando. Just like old times. Max had been smiling from the moment he had read the announcement in the paper, so pleased that the two of them had finally decided to end the charade and just officially announce their love to the world.

He arrived a little while later, eyes a little wide as he stepped out of his carriage, amazed as he was every single time that he laid eyes upon the absolutely gigantic mansion. He smiled when the butler came out to greet him, and walked inside after the man, to the drawing room where George and Alex were sitting together on the sofa, cuddled close and looking hopelessly in love as they held hands. It made Max smile warmly, and he hugged the both of them tightly as they got up to greet him.

‘’I am so, so, so happy for you guys.’’ He told the pair honestly, smiling brightly as he pulled away from the hug. ‘’We all knew that it was coming, of course. But it’s still nice to finally have the good news confirmed.’’ He added happily. It made Alex chuckle a little, taking George’s hand again as they sat down, Max next to them in a chair. ‘’Well we first had to convince this one’s family that it wasn’t the end of the world if he would marry someone so far below his station. Which…took months, as I’m sure you can imagine.’’ The Lord told his friend.

‘’Well I can’t help it that they’re all a bunch of dickheads, Alex.’’ George said, apparently repeating a conversation they had had many times before, if Alex’s eyeroll was anything to go by. ‘’Mhmmm.’’ The man replied. ‘’And you also outrank all of them combined, as I kept telling you.’’ He added, making George sigh deeply. ‘’Let’s…not have this conversation again. It’s all done now, and we are getting married, and then you can annoy me every single day for the rest of our lives by bringing this up every time I annoy you.’’

Alex chuckled a little at that, pressing a kiss to George’s cheek as he cuddled a little closer. ‘’I will.’’ He assured his fiancé happily, gasping softly when a servant walked in, carrying a number of booklets. ‘’Is that the new Lady Opscura?’’ He asked curiously, the servant bowing his head when he reached them. ‘’It is, my Lord. As you requested.’’ The man replied, handing them over to Alex, who immediately handed a copy to both George and Max. The Viscount let out a loud, audible groan, before he finally started to read. He hated these things, but part of him did want to know what she would have to say about him in particular.

_Dearest reader,_

_The first proper engagement of the season is finally upon us. Though we all of course already knew the true nature of their developing relationship, it is nonetheless my great honour to wish the Duke of Norfolk and the Lord Alexander Albon to best and happiest of marriages. I think you will agree with me, dear reader, when I say that this is a true example of a marriage of love, rather than convenience. For if not, His Grace would surely never have married so far below his own station._

_I have even heard word that the reason behind their betrothal having taken so long is that His Grace’s family simply refused to approve the match. A reasonable position, given just how far His Grace outranks his Lordship, but nonetheless, true love seems to have won in the end. Let us just see if they truly live happily ever after, as the storybooks tell us._

***

_A few days ago, I have heard it said that he went to lunch with the Marquess of Hertford, only to dump the man en publique as soon as a more eligible bachelor came along. For, though scandalous as it may sound, the good Viscount left the same venue not with the Marquess, but rather with the Duke of Somerset. A shocking development, and an interesting one._

_For would you not agree with me, dearest reader, that the fairest catch of them all this season, is not His Grace, the Duke of Somerset. Nor is it the much desired Marquess of Hertford. No, it is His Serene Highness, the Prince of Monaco, that trumps them all. Why is it then, that despite the Prince’s clear and obvious interest, the Viscount insists on hedging his bets? Does he fancy himself too low for a Prince, or is there trouble brewing in paradise? Only time will tell._

Max huffed as he finished reading the two most important stories in the booklet, quickly scanning through the rest before he threw it down onto the coffee table and rolled his eyes. ‘’Dumb gossip.’’ He grumbled, whereas Alex was still staring at the paper with a deep frown. ‘’Am I really going to have to hear the fact that you married ‘beneath’ you everywhere we go for the rest of my life?’’ He asked his fiancé, who sighed deeply in response. ‘’Would you like me to physically threaten anyone who does, my love? Because I will if you ask.’’ He told Alex in return, giving the man a kiss when his frown changed into a smile for a moment.

‘’Well…if you’re offering.’’ Alex replied with a chuckle, seeming a little more relaxed after that answer. He cuddled back to George’s side, looking at Max as the Viscount still seemed very annoyed. ‘’Why don’t you just go with Charles?’’ He asked curiously, making Max’s frown from anger fade away as he sighed deeply. ‘’I…I can’t…’’ He told Alex, chewing on his lip for a moment, before he continued, deciding that he could trust his friends with the truth. ‘’We…we’re not actually courting. We’re just pretending to so that I wouldn’t lose all status over the thing with my father.’’ He explained, and Alex suddenly burst out laughing.

He continued to laugh for a moment, before seeing that Max really didn’t find this funny in the slightest. ‘’Wait…you’re not joking?’’ Alex asked then, looking a little amazed at the Viscount. ‘’Max…I…you do know that Charles is hopelessly in love with you, right?’’ He asked the man, who just seemed absolutely shocked at that revelation.

It was George’s time to interject then, leaning forward with a bit of a frown of his own on his face. ‘’Wait, you didn’t know that?’’ He asked the Viscount, who very slowly shook his head. ‘’Honestly, Max…everybody knows that. We do, Lando does. Everybody.’’ He informed the shocked Viscount. ‘’But…but…then why would he agree to this charade…?’’ Max asked quietly, making Alex groan out loud.

‘’To spend some time with you, you absolute dimwit. Why do you think that Charles came all the way to London to find a match? It was for you. Of course it was for you! He could’ve found someone wherever he wanted, but he came back here for you.’’ Alex explained. He was going to continue, but he looked over when the door to the drawing room opened once more and the servant from earlier walked back in, bowing his head before he spoke. ‘’I present His Serene Highness, the Prince of Monaco, and the Lord Lando Norris, Your Grace.’’ He informed George, before the two men walked in.

Max continued to look at Alex for a moment, a look that pleaded the man to tell him more, but he couldn’t. At least not for the time being. They had to greet their guests, after all. ‘’Boys! You’re finally here!’’ George said as he got up, hugging the two men tightly as he received their congratulations. Alex did the same after giving Max an apologetic look, smiling again as he greeted their friends.

After saying hello to the happy couple, Lando gave Max a quick hug, followed by Charles, who hugged the Viscount tightly and held on just a little longer than one normally would. ‘’Hi, Charles.’’ Max told the man, pulling away from the hug with a polite smile. ‘’Been a few days since I’ve seen you.’’ He said, making Charles chuckle. ‘’Yeah, you know how it is. Luncheons and dinners all over the place. I was at the Palace just last night. It’s impressive.’’ He explained to Max, who just nodded in return, not really listening, just completely stuck in his own head.

Was Charles really in love with him? The more that Max thought about it, the more Alex’s words actually started to make sense. The touches, the looks, the way Charles acted during and after what Max until now had assumed was just casual sex….this really changed everything. Charles…one of his very best friends in the entire world, might actually be in love with him. It freaked Max out.

He didn’t really have the chance to go into now though, given that they were called in for lunch almost immediately after they had all finished their greetings. Max kept Charles back for a second, giving him a serious and slightly nervous look. ‘’Do…Can I talk to you after lunch? Privately?’’ He asked the Prince quietly, getting a quick nod in return. ‘’Of course, Max. Is something wrong?’’ He asked the Viscount, who shook his head and gave an apologetic smile. ‘’No, nothing’s wrong, just…I need to talk to you.’’ He explained, before he was off, following the others into the dining room.

Lunch went by almost in a blur. Max was uncharacteristically quiet, really not saying anything or contributing to the conversation unless he was directly spoken to. That was, until Lando spoke up, looking over at Max and Charles. ‘’So guys, I’ve been reading the new Lady Opscura on the way over. Why aren’t you two tying the knot already? We could have a double wedding together with these two lovebirds, and I’ll only have to find one date instead of two.’’ He teased, making Max almost groan out loud, while the Viscount saw Charles blushing slightly across from him. 

‘’Lando, shut up.’’ George came to their rescue, raising an eyebrow at their friend. ‘’They will end up doing whatever they want, and you will not push them like you pushed me and Alex. Or you’ll have trouble with me.’’ He threatened, making Lando roll his eyes while Alex just looked over fondly at his fiancé. Lando did drop the subject after that though, which Max was forever grateful for to George.

They had some tea after finishing their lunch, and the atmosphere in the room was nice and joyful, given the occasion for which they all had come over. It was after finishing his tea that Max looked over at Charles, waiting to catch his eye before he nodded. ‘’Can I speak to you in the gardens?’’ He asked the Prince, who nodded instantly and got up. ‘’Excuse us, please.’’ Charles told the others. ‘’Max and I have some matters to discuss, we’ll be back soon.’’

After that, he nodded at Max, walking outside after him. The Viscount led the pair of them into the gardens, and into the hedge maze that they had talked in during George’s ball. After a few minutes, Max finally found the centre, sitting down on the bench there with a long, deep sigh. ‘’There is something that we need to talk about, Charles.’’ He told the Prince, giving him a small smile when the man sat down next to him.

Charles was frowning slightly, looking somewhat concerned as he sat down. ‘’You’re worrying me again…’’ He admitted to the Viscount. ‘’Is everything alright with you, Max?’’ He asked the man, who sighed and shook his head. ‘’I…I don’t know.’’ He admitted. ‘’There is…Alex and George told me something that I genuinely don’t know how to feel about, Charles. And we really should talk about it.’’

Charles reached out then, gently taking Max’s hand in his own and giving the Viscount a sympathetic look. ‘’You know you can talk to me about anything, right?’’ The Prince asked. Charles’ words made Max close his eyes for a moment, and he gently pulled his hand back, putting it down in his lap as he slowly opened his eyes and gazed over into the Prince’s. ‘’Charles…are you in love with me?’’ He asked quietly.

The concerned, sympathetic look that was on Charles’ face faded almost immediately, and the Prince just stared at Max in complete and utter shock as he processed his question. ‘’I…I…’’ He stammered for a moment, genuinely not knowing how to answer that. He felt like he was panicking, like he had been caught doing something terrible, and knowing that there was absolutely no way out.

The Prince swallowed thickly then, taking a deep, slightly shaky breath before he nodded at Max. ‘’Yes…’’ He said quietly. He bit his lip as Max stayed quiet after that, looking at the man as he asked an absolutely terrifying question. ‘’How do you feel about me, Max?’’ He asked the Viscount, dreading the answer that he knew was inevitably coming. Max didn’t feel the same. He would have acted on it if he did, Charles knew that. He just needed to hear the man say it out loud.

‘’I don’t know…’’ Max finally said. ‘’I don’t know, Charles. You know that I love you, but…I’ve always loved you as a friend. One of my very best friends. And yes we’ve had sex and we’ve made out and we’ve really done everything that people in love would do, but…I’ve never really thought about you like that before.’’ He told the man, before he started laughing to himself. ‘’How could I? You’re a Prince. You are so far above my station that it is absolutely laughable to even consider a match like this.’’ He said, shaking his head on himself. 

‘’Do you think that you could ever love me in another way?’’ Charles finally asked, and Max nearly melted at the hopeful look that the Prince gave him. It made him unsure, and at this point, the Viscount really didn’t know what he was feeling. Everything had just always been so easy with Charles. Their friendship, their fooling around, he didn’t want to risk any of that. On the other hand, Charles really was everything that Max was looking for in a match. He was funny, absolutely gorgeous and truly, truly kind. Perfect really. It was just hard to imagine it when Max had never before allowed himself to think of the Prince in this way.

‘’I don’t know, Charles…’’ Max said quietly, biting his lip as he watched the Prince’s face fall. ‘’But I’m willing to try.’’ He added. At those words, Charles perked up a little again, and he almost breathlessly shuffled a little closer to Max, lifting a hand to gently brush the Viscount’s cheek with his thumb. ‘’Can I kiss you?’’ He asked quietly, making Max chuckle softly as he looked into the Prince’s eyes. ‘’You’ve never asked before, why start now?’’ He whispered, a smile on his face as he closed the distance between their lips.


End file.
